49 pages 1 hour read

Holly Goldberg Sloan

The Elephant In The Room

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2021

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Chapters 11-20

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 11 Summary

Gio pays $41,000 to buy Veda from Chester Briot. Along with Veda, he also gets Mr. Pickles the bear, food, and other supplies. When Veda steps onto Gio's property, she seems to enjoy the new surroundings.

Chester is happy to sell Veda because he never had the proper permits for her and did not regularly take her to the veterinarian. Saying goodbye, Veda tosses dirt at Chester. Rodrigo, Veda's caretaker, offers Gio a bullhook, but Gio refuses.

After selling Veda, Chester starts having health issues. He wonders if Veda throwing dirt at him caused them and thinks about it daily.

Chapter 12 Summary

Veda sticks close to Gio, almost like a puppy. When Gio sees Mr. Pickles, he is shocked that the bear's claws and teeth were removed, and the circus used a cattle prod to control him. Gio decides to let Mr. Pickles out, and the bear makes a big mess in the barn before dashing into the farmhouse.

Chapter 13 Summary

Mr. Pickles raids Gio's refrigerator until he accidentally turns on the radio. The opera music scares the bear, making him dash away. Despite Gio's efforts to find him, Mr.